Hivve helps Penrith Christian School students keep their cool.
Seasonal extremes in greater western Sydney are not for the faint hearted. Searing-hot summers, frosty winters. So Penrith Christian School needed a solution that could keep temperatures in check – and students in school.
The decision was taken to trial Hivve iQ in two EPB modular classrooms utilising renewable energy. So the school began using a Hivve Power System managed by Hivve iQ for year 2 students in term 4 2020. Principal Bruce Nevill was also interested in how this could improve learning outcomes. “Hivve iQ gives us a unique opportunity to understand how our classroom environments work and how we can continue to improve them over time.”
The Hivve system uses a 16.2 kW solar PV system powering reverse-cycle air conditioning, with an advanced IOT metering & monitoring system and cloud-based power storage. “All the components of Hivve IQ work together to give the school a completely integrated solution and the Hivve iQ in-classroom dashboard displays key metrics in a user-friendly way,” said David Wrench, Executive Director at Hivve Technology.
Several weeks of overcast weather in Spring 2018 did little to deplete energy levels – in fact the system generates enough power for eight other classrooms. Then as Penrith temperatures surpassed 36° in Term 4 of 2018, students enjoyed a comfortable 23.5°. Despite such energy demands, the Hivve Power System harvests enough surplus power to supplement the energy needs of the entire school.